This invention relates to a combination hose nozzle and lawn sprinkler and, more particularly, to a combination hose nozzle which will convert to a rotary lawn sprinkler during ground mounted operation.
Hose nozzles have been designed to be used on a hose as a nozzle and as a sprinkler when ground positioned, sometimes with controls that allow on-off operation and controlled quantity water release. The sprinkler operation utilises the nozzle which has one end which releases water and with the opposite end having a spike or other protuberance which can readily be inserted into the ground thereby allowing water to be dispensed without the necessity of a user holding the nozzle. Such a nozzle is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,566,232 (Schreiter) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,093 (Battaglia).
The lawn sprinkler aspect of the aforementioned nozzles suffers disadvantages. In the ""232 patent, the nozzle when inserted into the ground and operating without the user holding the nozzle, sprays water in only one direction. This reduces uniform lawn coverage In the ""093 patent, the nozzle, after being inserted into the ground, requires the user to terminate the operation of the nozzle and to commence operation from the sprinkler. Further, the sprinkler from which the water emanates when the sprinkler is used in the ground has a fixed spray. The fixed spray causes portions of the ground surface to receive more water than other portions. This uneven coverage contributes to different growth rates of the lawn and/or areas being watered.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a combination hose nozzle and water sprinkler for mounting on a hose and comprising handle and nozzle portions, said handle portion having an inlet area for mounting on said hose, said nozzle portion being connected to said handle portion and allowing for water communication there between, said nozzle portion comprising orifices to allow water to be directed out of said orifices when said orifices are open and a passageway between a third member and an internal jet to allow water to be directed out of said passageway when said orifices are closed.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of directing water flow from a combination hose nozzle and ground sprinkler comprising the steps of mounting said combination hose nozzle and ground sprinkler on said hose, directing water in a first direction from said combination hose nozzle and ground sprinkler when said hose nozzle and ground sprinkler is held by a user, inserting said hose nozzle and ground sprinkler into ground by use of a protuberance and directing water in a substantially 360 degree pattern from said hose nozzle and lawn sprinkler when said hose nozzle and lawn sprinkler is inserted into said ground.